Imagine a sunny, calm Thanksgiving morning at one of Canada’s most pristine lakes on a paddleboard.
Our family doesn’t take these kind of days or our summer cabin for granted. October 14th is late for the cabin season. At our lake all the boats are now stored for winter, the docks lie disassembled on the beach, and most cabin owners have shut down until spring.
The Lake
7C is not the optimal temperature for going on the lake. Neither is the 19C lake temperature. The forecast high of 23C was tempting but experience at the lake says paddleboarders have to take advantage of calm while it’s there, even at 7C.
The lake was smooth as glass, reflecting the sun, clouds, and a shoreline palette of yellows, greens, and red leaves. Absolutely beautiful. No boats. No birds, or ripples.
We use lightweight, inflatable paddleboards. Easy to carry. Stable to use. I took a leisurely pace paddling towards the middle of the lake. Jocelyn has some measure of concern on days like these. I’m 70-years old and in the middle of the lake. There are no boats or people to pull off a rescue if I lose my balance and fall in. My life jacket would keep me afloat, but the shock of the cold water would be numbing, let alone the effect on my heart.
Happy Place
Alone. Middle of the lake. Sun on my face. This is my happy place.
No anxiety in the least.
Me, God, and my thoughts.
Appreciative of life.
Grateful for the balance and strength to stand on a paddleboard for an hour.
Thankful for Jocelyn, my 45-year partner. I can see her like a speck, standing on land’s edge, watching out for me. Cory and Lynsey, Jean Marc and Angie. And Quinner, Lena Bean, Vince, Nora, and JJ. Family. My sister Nancy, Jocelyn’s mum and her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. 
Prayers
Praying for my friends in Ukraine and Israel. Amid war, that they would be protected and provided with some measure of serenity.
Glad for my role as a pastoral coach and working with the best leadership team an old guy could ever hope for.
Pleased that I get to write the stories of faith and hope from the lives of people I know.
Ever cognisant of the heritage of faith in Jesus left to me by my parents and extended family.
Reflecting in the unknown time ahead on this tiny blue dot of a planet. Wanting to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven.
How did you spend Thanksgiving? Do you paddleboard? Please join the conversation and post a comment below. Thank you!
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